A little seed. A new beginning.
Seeds In A Cup®A LITTLE SEED. A NEW BEGINNING.

GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.

THE PLANT NOTEBOOK

Tomato care, from seed onward.

Botanical name
Solanum lycopersicum
Common names
Tomato, Love Apple
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Species
S. lycopersicum
01

Start growing

Plant deep (bury the stem). Requires support (cages or stakes). Needs full sun.

02

Growing with your kit

The Seeds In A Cup® kit is the ultimate way to start tomatoes; watch the tiny seeds transform into sturdy seedlings in just 4 weeks.

03

Propagation

By seed or cuttings (will root anywhere the stem touches soil).

04

Seasonal growth & harvest

60-90 days to harvest depending on variety.

05

Growing conditions

Sun-drenched, well-drained loams.

06

Weather & tolerances

Heat tolerant; zero frost tolerance. Needs consistent water to prevent fruit cracking.

07

Pests & plant health

Tomato hornworm, early blight, and aphids.

08

Plant safety

Fruit is safe; leaves and stems contain solanine and should not be eaten.

09

Botanical features

Perennial grown as annual. Features glandular hairy foliage and pulpy fleshy fruits with many seeds.

10

Varieties

‘Roma’, ‘Cherry’, ‘Beefsteak’, ‘San Marzano’.

11

Garden & everyday uses

Versatile culinary fruit eaten as vegetable. rich in Lycopene

12

Native range & distribution

Indigenous to Western South America; now the world’s most popular home garden crop.

13

Conservation

Global priority via the Tomato Genetics Resource Center.

14

Name origins

From the Aztec word ‘tomatl’.

15

History

Introduced to Europe in the 1500s; once believed to be poisonous because of its relationship to Nightshade.

Grow tomato in a cup.